MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
The president of Square Enix – the increasingly Western-facing Japan-headquartered publishing empire – has refuted the widely held view that the Japanese game industry is in decline. Yoichi Wada is thought to be the first high-profile industry executive that’s publicly spoken in defence of the Japanese industry. If you look …
Read More »$180m pumped into Zynga
A Russian investment firm that previously invested $200m in social network leader Facebook has backed Mafia Wars and FarmVille developer Zynga to the power of $180m. The move means that Zynga now has an approximate valuation of between $1.5bn-$3bn. The fulls tory is on CasualGaming.biz.
Read More »3m play Battlefield Heroes
Publisher EA and Swedish developer DICE have announced that over 3m players have no signed up to the online free-to-play Battlefield Heroes. Battlefield Heroes continues to grow fast with well over 50,000 new players joining us every week,” Battelfield Heroes’ general manager Ben Cousins stated. The full story is over …
Read More »SingStar Viewer goes live
Avid fans of SingStar on PS3 will know the pain that is trying to access the SingStore – particularly on a Friday or Saturday night – so news of a new dedicated standalone app will be welcomed. As reported on the SingStar blog, the SingStar Viewer allows users to view …
Read More »Sega prepares Olympic marketing campaign
Sega will focus its marketing efforts for Vancouver 2010: The Official Video Game of the Olympic Winter Games around the real-world event for maximum impact. The publisher is working hard to ensure the title lives up to the performance of its predecessor, which was met with impressive sales when released …
Read More »Fluid scoops design awards
Ad design specialist Fluid has picked up three awards for creative efforts in the games industry. At the Rose Design Awards, the company took home two gold awards for best online and offline promotion in the new gaming category. Meanwhile, at the Cream awards the firm won silver for best …
Read More »Testronic Labs signs with Black Bean
QA specialist Testronic Labs has signed a new contract with Italian developer Black Bean – home of the SBK Superbike games. The partnership forms part of a wider expansion for Testronic, for which it has grown the capacity of its functionality testing lab in Poland. Producer at Black Bean Fulvio …
Read More »JAPAN: Shadow of the Colossus to be re-issued?
Hailed as one of the best titles ever made by hardcore gamers but shunned at retail by the masses, Team Ico’s genuinely wonderful Shadow of the Colossus could be returning to retail thanks to a brand new print run. CVG reckons that reports from Japan suggest the game will be …
Read More »JAPAN: New Dead or Alive for PSP
Publisher Tecmo has lifted the lid on a brand new instalment in the Dead or Alive series on PSP – though those hoping for a fighter had best look elsewhere. Joystiq reports that Dead or Alive: Paradise has more in common with the quirky Xbox series DOA: Beach Volleyball, though …
Read More »Games on demand arrives on GFWL
Having bought full-game digital distribution to Xbox 360 earlier this year, Microsoft has now gone live with its games on demand service for PC platform Games for Windows Live. The launch line-up includes Codemasters’ Colin McRae Dirt 2, Bethesda’s Fallout 3, Eidos’ Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, THQ’s Red Faction: …
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